Back In Time
by Lily Hanson
Summary: If after ten years Brody could be reunited with his brother from across the galaxy, maybe Sarah needed to hope for the same ending. Maybe she needed to stop believing her father was gone and start thinking that he could be out there, somewhere, trying to come home.
1. Tough Questions, Tougher Answers

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel._

For the most part, the city of Summer Cove had recovered from Galvanax's attack. Sarah could still remember seeing eight of the brute beast towering over the city, destroying everything within their reach.

Monster attacks were no longer uncommon in this part of the country. In fact, they were pretty much expected. The State always had money set aside to help cover the costs of damages and to help with repairs. Some would argue the monsters were good for the economy, as they kept people working around the clock to fix up the destruction they caused.

Those people, clearly, never lost a loved one in an attack.

Sarah sat outside what had been her father's office building. Unlike eight other locations across the city, this one had barely been touched. It had been close to the site of one of the Galvanaxs, so people had fled in terror and the damage was mostly a result of that. Still, it hadn't been long before the company was back up and running, going through their day as usual. However, they were at least one employee short.

Though Sarah had learned to accept her father's absence in her life, it was still just that: an absence. Despite what the news reports said, and despite what the mayor, the senators and even the president said, not everyone had been found. Sarah still had no idea what happened to her father in the attack. All she knew for certain was that he hadn't come home.

She knew an absence this long after an attack of that magnitude meant it was safe to assume death, and for simplicity sake, Sarah called it that, but without a body, without any proof of what happened to him, Sarah was left with a ton of questions.

Brody had found his brother. After ten long years and a torturous game by Madam Oedius, Brody managed to find the one person out of seven billion that he was looking for. Despite the odds, the Romero brothers were reunited and as happy as Sarah was for both, she was angry.

It had been a couple weeks since the truth came out and the Romero brothers were already behaving like brothers. They hung out together all the time. They lived together. They fought like brothers. They had each other's backs, like brothers.

Sarah knew this was two different circumstances. Aiden, now Levi, had run away from an attack to survive. He found a family that kept him safe and fate happened to bring the brothers back together. This had nothing to do with her and her father. This was not Brody rubbing her face in his happy ending, or life giving her the middle finger.

But she needed answers. As a student of math and science, as a daughter, and as a person, she needed answers.

What could have happened to her father that would keep him from coming home?

Why hadn't his body been found? Especially since damage to his building had been minimal?

If he was dead, why did no one find him? If he was alive, why hadn't he already come home?

"Do you need help?" a man in a suit asked as he stepped out of the building. Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and looked to him, shaking her head. He approached her. "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Uh… no," she answered.

"Interested in business?" he asked. "School's been out a couple weeks, and summer's barely started. You know, you could intern here, over the summer. Looks good for college."

"Thanks, but I'm not really… business-minded."

"Well, you're staring at an office building," the man chuckled. "Are you lost?"

"No, I…"

"Hey, wait a minute," the man glanced over her shoulder, looking to her bag. "Holy smokes, this whole time I thought the bastard was making that up."

"Huh?"

"You're Bill Thompson's kid, aren't you?" the man smiled, then pointed to her bag. "Is that really a hoverboard?"

Sarah glanced at her bag, which was carrying her hoverboard and then she nodded her head. "Uh, yeah. I am and it is."

"Your father said you were smart. That I could believe but a working hoverboard? Damn, I owe Joan fifty bucks now. You know, never bet against her."

"I won't," Sarah answered. The man chuckled as he shook his head, still in disbelief about her hoverboard. This only lasted a moment. When he saw Sarah was still focused on the building, and looking lost, he realized Bill Thompson's kid likely wasn't here to show off her hoverboard. Gently, he took her by the arm and walked her over to a nearby bus stop, where they sat down on the bench.

"I'm Matt, by the way. I worked with your dad in accounting," he introduced himself. "Met him the day he transferred here from Amber Beach. He was a good guy."

"Thanks."

"It's a real shame what happened," Matt told her. "I guess fate has a funny way of… well, not funny, I mean, but… Fate sucks sometimes."

"Fate?"

"You didn't know?" Matt seemed puzzled for a moment, then shook his head, "Right, I mean, I guess you don't. That makes sense."

"Know what?"

"Well, your dad and I usually ate lunch together in the break room. You know, complained about the boss together, moaned about our wives, guys stuff, basically."

"I get it," Sarah nodded. Her Ranger team was dominated by boys, who sometimes forgot she, Kelly, and Hayley were in the room when they spoke. So much so, in fact, that girl talk often revolved around guy talk.

"Anyways, there was this big opportunity for your dad coming up. I'm not sure what it was but the branch was expanding and the boss wanted to talk to him. She seemed upbeat so Bill wasn't sure how to feel, you know, since you guys just moved and he was worried you might have to move again, but he thought he'd hear her out. You know, know his options."

"Okay…"

"She took him out to lunch," Matt said. "You know, when those monsters attacked. They must have been in the heart of it."

Sarah's eyes started to water, hearing this. She knew the story wouldn't have a happy ending. Anything short of her father being home was nothing more than a tragedy, but that didn't stop the answers from hurting.

"I thought you might want to know," Matt said. "Especially since… you know, he was never found."

"Thanks," Sarah whispered, though she wasn't feeling very thankful at all. The way Matt spoke about her father, it seemed they were good friends, but he was still just a stranger to her. A stranger who did give her some answers, but the answers weren't what she wanted to hear.

"I really am sorry about… well, everything. It's got to be tough. For what it's worth, he really, really loved you."

"Thanks," she muttered again, but Matt shook his head.

"No, no, I really… I'm serious. I've got two kids at home and they're my life and my heart but… damn, the look in his eyes Bill had whenever he said your name, or even just whenever you came to mind; you were his whole world. I really, really hope you knew that."

He gave Sarah's shoulder a squeeze. He wasn't sure what to do anymore but he could tell she was getting emotional and he didn't think it would be appropriate to stick around any longer.

"The phone number's the same. I assume you have it for the building, right?" when Sarah nodded, he smiled, "Great. Well, my extension is 645. If you have anymore questions or just want to talk or maybe you just want to see where your dad worked, or, anything, really. Anything you need, at all, just give me a call and I will make it happen."

Sarah didn't give him an answer, but he had done all he could for her. He walked off, leaving her with her thoughts.

"So, you're leaving me?" she heard Kelly say just minutes later, but didn't glance up. Kelly limped her way over and sat down next to her on the bus seat, holding a bag of groceries. "I'm a big girl, you know. You could have just broken up with me. No need to catch a bus out of town."

She was teasing, and she knew Sarah would know that too, but when the pink Ranger didn't laugh, Kelly started to worry. She lifted the bag of groceries, "So, I don't know why you insisted on coming across town to get this stuff. They don't have anything here they didn't have down the block from your place. It is a grocery chain, so I don't know why I believed you in the first place. On me, I guess."

Sarah still didn't respond one way or another, so Kelly leaned forward to get a look at her face and saw Sarah in tears. She dropped the grocery bag and moved in front of her girlfriend, "Sarah? Sarah is everything okay?"

Sarah covered her face with her hands and her body started to tremble. Kelly put her hands on Sarah's legs, "Hey, come on, talk to me. What happened? Are you hurt?"

Sarah didn't answer but started to sob. Kelly looked her over quickly, checking for blood or signs of injury, but Sarah was just as she left her.

"Come on, talk to me," Kelly pleaded with her as she reached into her pocket for her phone. "It's going to be okay, Sarah. Maybe I can help or… Sarah, please, say something. Let me know you're okay or what's going on or something."

As she tried to beg Sarah to say or do anything, she called Jenny's phone. When the step-mother picked up, Kelly stepped away, though always keeping an eye on Sarah as she did.

"Uh, Jenny, I think we need you to come pick us up. Sarah's hurt and… No! No, sorry, not like hurt, hurt. She's hurt _ing_ and I don't know what's wrong or what to do and… okay. We're outside Fresh Foods. You know the one across from Summer Cove Digital Marketing Company?... Great! We're right there. I'll keep an eye on her until you get here but please make it fast. Thanks."


	2. Mother Bear Or Crazy Lady

Of course, Jenny knew where to find her daughter. The store Kelly had mentioned was the one right across from where Bill used to work. It was across town, so when Jenny asked Sarah to run some errands for her, she never expected her daughter to go there.

When she got the call from Kelly, she knew exactly why Sarah had chosen that location. It had been months now since she lost her father, and while they were moving forward without him, his absence was still felt every day in the home. Jenny had yet to have a restful night in her bed and often migrated to the couch in the middle of the night to sleep. It was too cold being by herself in such a big bed.

Right after the call, she told Shane he would need to figure out what to do for dinner himself with whatever they had in the fridge. He was still recovering from Aiden's attack a couple of weeks ago, so she hated leaving him with the task, but he was more than capable of handling it. With that covered, Jenny set her focus on Sarah.

She pulled up to the curb right next to the bus stop and got out of the car. In the time it took Jenny to arrive, it seemed Kelly had calmed Sarah down enough that she had stopped crying, but her daughter was still hurting.

"Thanks for calling," she said to Kelly who nodded her head. The poor girl seemed a little frazzled by this. While she and Sarah had already been through so much together and were stronger together for it, it was always difficult having someone you cared about hurt when there was nothing you could do to ease it. Jenny gave Kelly the car keys, "Tap out, if you need it. I can take it from here."

"Are you sure?" Kelly asked. Clearly, she felt some guilt stepping away from her girlfriend when she was so upset. Jenny nodded.

"It's fine. You've done a lot so far. My turn to step up."

Kelly forced a faint smile, took the keys and made her way into the car. Jenny sat down next to Sarah. Though her tears had dried, her face was still red and puffy. Jenny brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Why did you come here?" she asked.

"I was just… wondering."

"About your dad?"

Sarah pulled her knees to her chest and nodded her head, "How could he just… disappear?"

"I don't know," Jenny answered with a shrug. "But… disasters are like that, you know. Sometimes, there's just so much rubble that some people stay lost."

"It wasn't rubble, it was carnage," Sarah muttered. "And it was all because of…"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"They were my holo-clones!"

"They were clones of Galvanax, not you. He misused your technology. You built it to get more extracurriculars. While it's not your smartest idea, it certainly isn't evil."

"I built it to make clones, and that's exactly how Galvanax used it. When my friends asked if it was bad that we left it lying in the woods, I said no. I knew there was a chance something could go wrong and…"

"Sarah, this is not your fault. What happened to your father and everyone else is a tragedy, but you are not the one to blame here."

"But…"

"Your father died. You are one of the victims. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is never what you wanted," Jenny said.

Sarah rested her head on her knees and pouted. Jenny put her arm around her daughter.

"I miss him too," she said. "Your uncle Shane's been a big help, and I love my brother, I really do, but I would choose to have your father in the house over Shane any day. Life doesn't always work out the way we want it too. Sometimes, it has other plans."

"Yeah, like death."

"Sarah…"

"This guy, Matt," Sarah said. "He walked out of the building, thought I was lost or something. He asked if I needed help until he saw my hoverboard and recognized me. He worked with dad."

"I recognize that name," Jenny nodded. "Your father said he met Matt his first day here. They were friends. He wanted to have him and his wife over for dinner sometime."

"Dad went out to lunch with his boss the day Galvanax attacked," Sarah explained. "The one time dad doesn't stay in the office and eat with Matt, he dies. He thought if he went, he would be able to see what his options for the future were. Turns out, there was only one for him. Death."

"Matt? He told you this?"

"That's why, even though his building wasn't under attack, dad never came home. Matt thinks he was in the heart of it all when Galvanax attacked."

"Matt said all this, to you?"

"I mean, he wasn't there, obviously," Sarah said. "He never said where dad went to lunch but… he knows dad left. He knows dad never came back. It's not what I wanted to hear but… it's answers, right?"

"Yeah," Jenny nodded her head and then kissed the side of Sarah's head. "Hey, mind driving yourself and Kelly home? Shane should have dinner ready when you get back."

"Aren't you coming home too?"

"I'll join you in a minute," Jenny said and pointed to the office building, "While I'm here, I think I'm going to collect some of dad's things."

"I can come with you…"

"I think you've hurt yourself enough for one day," Jenny said. "I'll bring everything I can home. We'll sort through it there. Nothing will be tossed without your say so first, I promise."

"Alright but how will you get home?"

"Taxi, uber, bus. I've got options, kid. Don't worry about me. Take your girlfriend home."

"Okay," Sarah said and got up to join Kelly in the car. When they drove off, Jenny looked down at her phone. Bill had mentioned Matt many times before. They were good work friends and Bill always wanted to take the relationship a little further than that. He had told Jenny he wanted to invite Matt and his wife over for dinner so they could all hang out together and get to know each other better. Jenny really believed a good friendship would come out of it.

After Bill died, Jenny didn't hear much from Bill's work at all unless it was paperwork and the generic condolence card. Some of Bill's colleagues came to his funeral, Matt included. Matt and his wife also sent their own sympathy card, with Matt expressing how good a friend Bill was to him.

Jenny didn't have the heart to write back a thank you, and admittedly had let that slip. She had so much going on that expressing her thanks for people acknowledging the worst day of her life was very low priority. However, she had taken a picture of the return address on the card back when she had been hopeful she would be able to write back, and she still had that picture on her phone. She knew exactly where to find Matt.

He didn't live far from where he worked, fortunately, so Jenny didn't have far to walk. She made it to his house in just under ten minutes and pounded on the door. A man answered. Jenny assumed it was Matt. He looked to her as though he recognized her, but he couldn't pinpoint from where.

"I'm Jenny Thompson," she said.

"Bill's wife," Matt smiled and offered his hand. "I'm Matt, though since you're at my door, I guess you know that."

"You're damn right I do."

"I'm so sorry what happened to Bill…"

"I'm not here to talk about that," Jenny growled. Matt could now sense that her tone didn't have to do with her being the grieving widow, but couldn't figure out why she would come pounding on his door at all, never mind just to yell at him. "What the hell gives you the right to sit down and talk to my daughter about her father?"

"Sarah?" Matt asked. "Okay, look, I know it always seems fishy when an older man approaches a younger woman but…"

"Trust me, I'm not worried about that. My daughter can kick your ass into next week if she wanted to," Jenny said. "I'm more concerned with you giving my daughter answers to questions you know nothing about!"

"Excuse me?"

"She's not a stupid kid!" Jenny shouted. "She knows you're speculating!"

"What?"

"You have no damned clue where Bill is. You have no idea what's happened to him…"

"Look, lady," Matt said and started to stand tall, puffing out his chest, "I don't care if you're a grieving widow, a mama bear, or a complete wack-job, but if you're just going to come to _my_ house, stand on _my_ patio to yell at me, then you can get off my property before I call the cops."

" _Don't_ go telling _my_ daughter what you _think_ happened to her father. _Do not_ fill her head with the answers _you_ need to fall asleep at night. She is not your kid, you know nothing about her, so stay away from her."

"If it gets you off my back, fine!" Matt shouted and pointed to the street, "Now get off my property."

"Gladly," Jenny said and knocked over his plant before she walked off. Matt slammed the door shut behind her. She stormed off down the street, walking a couple of blocks still fuming before she got a call on her phone. She snapped when she answered, "What?"

" _What's with the hostility, Jen?"_

"Sorry, Shane. I'm just a little wound up. What do you need?"

" _Just wondering if I should leave out a plate for you or not,"_ Shane answered. _"Are you sure you're okay?"_

"I…" Jenny glanced over her shoulder at Matt's house. "I just chewed some guy's ear off."

" _Literally?"_

"Shane."

" _Well, you sound nuclear."_

"Sarah was thinking about Bill today," Jenny answered. "And some… stranger thought it would be okay to talk to her about."

" _You were at a stranger's house?"_

"He was Bill's co-worker. He just… he told her what _he_ thinks happened to Bill and… Shane, no one knows. I know not having answers suck but… if Sarah's going get them, I'd rather it not come from a man off the street."

" _I get it,"_ Shane answered. _"You coming home now?"_

"On my way."


	3. Wild Fantasies

Kelly sat in her bed, playing with the blankets while she waited for Hayley to turn off the bedroom light. One of the downsides to sharing a room was that the two girls needed to coordinate their bedtimes, as it was always difficult to sleep with a light on, or with the other chatting on the phone or watching videos. Hayley was just getting her pyjamas on and finishing with texting goodnight to Calvin. She knew Kelly was waiting for her, but she didn't plan on being much longer.

Finally, she turned off the light and crawled into bed. Just as she was about to put her head down on the pillow, she glanced to Kelly's bed and noticed she was still sitting up.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"What did you have for dinner?"

"Uh, Shane ended up ordering pizzas."

"I thought you and Sarah went to pick up groceries for dinner," Hayley said. That had been the plan, at least, when she and Calvin dropped Kelly off at Sarah's that afternoon.

"We did, but… Hayley, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Have you ever felt… useless?" it was hard for Kelly to study Hayley's expression in the dark, but she looked across the room, hoping desperately Hayley knew what she meant.

"In what way?"

"Completely and utterly," Kelly sighed. She turned her body so she was facing Hayley's direction. "Sarah took us by her dad's old office today and I had no idea. She sent me in to get the groceries, saying she was going to take care of some other stuff and when I came back outside… she just broke down. I had no idea why, she couldn't tell me because she was so upset and I had no idea what to do. I had to call her mom to pick us up and I barely managed to get her to calm down before Jenny showed up."

"But you managed?"

"Barely," Kelly muttered. "I felt so useless. I mean, I'm her girlfriend. I should know how to handle this stuff. Whenever you or Calvin get upset, you know exactly what to do."

"We've been dating a lot longer, though," Hayley pointed out. "We're going on two years pretty soon. We've been on that roller coaster already."

"Sarah and I have been on a roller coaster. Between me getting kicked out, kidnapped and her being poisoned, me almost being crushed to death and my dad dying, you'd think we'd know how to comfort each other by now."

"These things take time," Hayley insisted. "A couple months after we started dating, Calvin was so upset because he failed a test. He sulked the rest of the day and I tried everything to cheer him up, but it seemed everything I did just made it… worse."

"But you eventually figured it out?"

"Yeah, three more upset tests and one biking accident later," Hayley chuckled. "Eventually, I picked up on the things that really upset him and the things that make him smile no matter what. Now I can tell if something is going to put him in a bad mood and I know how to make it all seem just a little better. That'll come for you and Sarah too."

"So, you don't just know?"

"No," Hayley shook her head. "And if it helps, Sarah feels just as useless right now with you. When your parents kicked you out, it took all she had just to find something that would make you feel better. At the end of the day, you tried your best, you did what you needed to help her, and as you said, she was feeling a little better by the time Jenny showed up. That means you did something right. Maybe, just sitting with her was enough."

"You and Calvin make it look so easy."

"Trust me, it's not always fun," Hayley said. "When we started dating, dad told us both that all relationships take work. You just know you're in a good one when you want to put in the effort. Even when it's hard, you still give it your all."

"Part of me wishes Sarah and I were a little further along, I guess. More like you and Calvin. Established – real partners. Know each other in and out. No mystery."

Hayley chuckled, "It is nice, but part of me wishes I could go back to where you and Sarah are. It's all new, it's exciting. You never really know where it's going to go, but you just know it's going to be good."

"Seriously?"

"Look forward to what's coming, but don't wish what you have away."

"Is that something else your dad told you?"

"Mom," Hayley smiled. "Don't tell them I said this, but my parents are pretty cool, for parents."

"Yeah, I guess they're a notch or so above mine," Kelly said with a bit of a smirk, then remembered that it was dark and Hayley wouldn't be able to see from her face that she was kidding. When Hayley started to stammer out an apology, Kelly waved it off, "I'm only joking around. Your parents are the best."

Hayley breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned back in her bed, "Look, I haven't known Sarah much longer than you have but I do know that the girl is crazy about you. Maybe you didn't know what to do this time, and maybe next time you're feeling down, she might be a little clueless too, but it's clear that you're both trying really hard to make each other happy. As long as you're there for her when things get tough, you're doing enough."

"Thanks, Hayley."

"Anytime."

-Ninja-Steel-

That night, Sarah lay awake in her bed, running over scenarios in her head.

When Galvanax terrorized the city with his clones, he left behind a huge mess. It had taken months to clean, but eventually, it was all off the street. Buildings were being reconstructed and those who had been affected were either recovered, close to recovering, or buried.

The point was, every victim had been found except for her father. It wasn't crazy to think maybe there were more who were missing, but she knew, without a doubt, that something wasn't right. It wasn't possible that the streets could be completely cleared off and the debris all gone, and they didn't find her father's body if he was dead.

Maybe, just maybe, he was still alive.

Sarah shook her head. But Matt had said that her father had gone to lunch, and was in the heart of the attack. There was no way he could survive being right in the center of all that chaos.

However, without a body, the possibilities were endless. If after ten years Brody could be reunited with his brother from across the galaxy, maybe Sarah needed to hope for the same ending. Maybe she needed to stop believing her father was gone and start thinking that he could be out there, somewhere, trying to come home.

A bad concussion could have disoriented him enough that he lost his way. Or maybe he was hurt so badly, he couldn't remember who he was. He could be in a hospital somewhere, recovering for his injuries. Without any ID on him, he was possibly a John Doe.

But with the attack in the city being so disastrous, it wasn't likely people would discover a John Doe and not report it. Jenny had given the police Bill's picture and all his information. They would have no trouble identifying him.

Maybe his injuries were bad. His face could have suffered severe injuries, like a burn, which left him disfigured. Maybe there was no comparing him to a picture, and without his memories, he couldn't say who he was. Maybe they mistook him for a look-a-like, and he was living with another family who was just so grateful their loved one was alive, it hadn't yet dawned on them that he wasn't who they thought he was. Brody had mistakenly believed Aiden was his brother, despite Aiden looking nothing like Levi at all. The mind could see what it wanted to see, despite some glaringly obvious signs that it was mistaken.

Her head spun with scenarios, all of which seemed to insist it was possible her father was alive. Eventually, she started to think of how she would be able to find him. Right now, she had no leads and no idea where he would wander off to if he had forgotten who he was, but Sarah was determined to find him.

If Brody could cross an entire galaxy to find his brother ten years later, Sarah would easily and gladly search every corner of the Earth for her father.

She couldn't give up. Just like there was no proof he had survived, there was nothing to confirm his death.


	4. Back In Time

Mick wasn't the sleeping type. Of course, his body demanded he rest, so he always got a few hours of sleep a night, but he was no stranger to staying up late and being awake earlier. He was always the first one to be working in the Ranger base, so when he awoke to hear some noises, and when he saw RedBot still recharging at his station, Mick had to wonder who it was.

He stumbled off his mattress and made his way over to the workstations. There, he saw Sarah tinkering with a small device. It wasn't anything he had been working on, so he assumed it was purely her own creation.

"Morning?" he said with a bit of a questioning tone. She looked up at him briefly and though her whole face screamed exhaustion, she smiled brightly.

"Good morning!"

"You're up early," he told her and noticed she had a couple empty containers of coffee on the table, with a third in her hand. "How long have you been here?"

"Uh… a few hours?" she said.

"So, you didn't sleep?"

"I couldn't," Sarah answered. "Too many ideas. I came up with this!"

She held out her creation for Mick to inspect. He took it in his hand, but couldn't determine what it was just by looking to it. He gave it back with a curious smile.

"It's a…"

"Time machine," Sarah said. "At least, it will be, once I figure out time travel, you know."

"Yeah, that's the big roadblock for us all," Mick nodded his head. "So, you want to… go back in time?"

"Exactly!"

"Why?"

"To save my dad."

"Uh…" Mick's face fell and he wasn't sure where to carry the conversation from here. However, he knew time travel was a bad idea. There wasn't a doubt in his mind about that. Going to the past would always have consequences on the present and the future. Time was such a sensitive dimension that even the travel itself could jeopardize everything, "W-Why? How are you going to save your dad?"

"I want to see what happened to him," Sarah said. Mick walked over a little closer and put his hand on Sarah's arm, taking her off her work for just a moment. She looked to him. "Mick…"

"Sarah, I don't think that's a good idea."

"They never found a body," Sarah told him. "Mick, I know I might not see what I want to see but… dad was out to lunch with his boss when Galvanax attacked. He was right in the heart of it. Everyone else was found but him. That should mean something, right?"

"Sometimes there's just no body to find," Mick said. He would much rather she hear it from him than learn first hand.

"I have to be sure."

"Sarah…"

"If I can see what happened to him, where he went or… something, I'll know what I can do for him now," Sarah said. "I'll know if he's gone or where to find him if he is still alive and I can come back here and…"

"Sarah, this isn't a good idea," Mick told her flatly. "You said it yourself, your father was in the heart of the attack. You'll be putting yourself in danger just to get some answers you may no like. I understand what it's like not knowing…"

"You can't," Sarah shook her head. "You can't, because if you did, you wouldn't be telling me…"

"You need to believe me, Sarah. There are a lot of questions I have that I've given up on finding the answers too," Mick insisted. "And I know how much it hurts, and how hard that is to do, but time was meant to travel one way. Going back isn't an option."

"It is," Sarah assured him. "And Mick, I have to know. Maybe living with uncertainties works for you, but it doesn't for me. I don't care if I go back and I watch him die. I don't care if I can't save him. At least… you know, at least that's better than wondering what happened. Wondering if he's still out there. He could be lost or scared or he could need help. Maybe he needs the Rangers to find him. If I don't do this…"

"Sarah…"

"Mick, I have to do this," Sarah insisted and pulled away from the mechanic. She grabbed her device in her hands. "You can't stop me. So either you let me work here, or I head back home and finish this up in my garage."

Mick felt he was at a crossroads here. He was certain that time travel was dangerous and he didn't want Sarah to risk herself just for a couple of answers he was sure were going to hurt her, but he knew the pink Ranger also tended to be impulsive, particularly when she was excited. If she could create a working time machine, and Mick had faith that she would figure it out, she would certainly jump right in. At least if she was at the base, under his watch, he could go with her to keep his eye on her, or he could have the other Rangers…

He shook his head. No way would he let the other Rangers travel with her. This was already dangerous enough. Sarah would be bringing herself right into the heart of one of the deadliest attacks Summer Cove had ever seen. Losing one Ranger would already be a tragedy. If Mick wanted someone to look after Sarah, he would need to do it himself.

"You can use my tools," he told her and the smile returned to her face. "As long as you let me help. Let me come along with you."

"Deal," Sarah agreed and rushed over to his toolbox. Mick let out a heavy sigh as he looked to her device. He just prayed this wouldn't end as terribly as her holo-clones.

-Ninja-Steel-

"So?" Jenny asked as she stood in her living room. Shane took his eyes off the TV for just a moment to see his sister dressed in… he wasn't sure.

"What the hell are you wearing?" he asked.

"You don't like it?" Jenny frowned and gave her outfit a second look. "You don't think it makes me look… hip?"

"Hip?" Shane shook his head. "Jen, you look like you went back in time to 2003 and stole all the clothes from my closet."

"Really?"

"Don't you have a job interview today?"

Jenny sighed and fell into the couch. She had decided that it was time she go back to work. Bill's life insurance would only take her so far and if she wanted to ensure a comfortable life for herself and Sarah, she would need money coming in very soon. She had to quit her job when she and Bill moved to Summer Cove, and hadn't gotten the chance to look for a new one since.

"I do."

"And you're going like that?"

"It's at a younger firm," Jenny answered. "My boss is easily six years younger than me."

"Seriously?"

"I didn't think he'd appreciate me walking in looking… old."

"You're hardly old."

"When I dropped off my resume, everything was so… casual," Jenny said. "And everyone working there was kids. I'm pretty sure they have more in common with Sarah than me. I don't want to stand out."

"Isn't that exactly what you want to do in a job interview?" Shane asked her. "You know, stand out?"

"Yeah, in a good way," she answered. "Like, 'wow, isn't she amazing'? Or 'she's really got something we want to bring in'. Not, 'look at the old, single mom coming in a pantsuit with her nose up'."

"If it helps, you're not a single mom," Shane said, earning himself a punch in the arm from his sister. "You're a single step-mom."

"Shane…"

"Jen, just go in there, be yourself. If they don't like you, then you wouldn't have enjoyed working there anyway," Shane assured her with a smile. Jenny sighed.

"So I should change?"

"Yes, please," he begged her teasingly.


	5. Needing Answers

It had taken about a day to complete, but the time machine – theoretically – worked. It was an amazing invention, and the fact that it had only taken a day to design and built was an absolute wonder, but it was done.

Mick was exhausted. The work hadn't killed him, but the panic it inspired was sure taking it's toll. Now that it was done, he was sure Sarah was excited to test it out. As she picked it up to take it to the site where she was sure her father had been in the attack, Mick stepped in her way.

"I know we've already discussed this and there is no changing your mind," he said. "But are you absolutely sure this is something you want to do?"

"Yes, Mick."

"It's just… your father hasn't come home for a reason. I don't think we need to see a body to know that… you're not going to like the answer you do get."

"I understand that," Sarah nodded. "But Mick, there's a chance that he's still out there. There's a chance that I can bring him home. No matter how small it is, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't take it."

"Then can I stress how dangerous this is," Mick said. "I mean, not only are we playing with the very fabric of time, but we're also heading straight into one of the most dangerous attacks this side of the planet. You do know that, right?"

"Hey, our bodies were never found," Sarah shrugged. "Don't you think, if this did kill us, they would have found our bodies?"

"Well, you see, they haven't found your father," Mick reminded her. "So, if we go back, find your father, and something does happen to him, it could happen to us too and then… poof, we disappear."

"You don't have to come with me, then," Sarah told him. "You can stay here. I'll be fine on my own."

"No, see, you can't go alone," Mick shook his head. "You can't head into a warzone from the past by yourself. I'd never forgive myself for _that_."

"Mick, you can't talk me out of this. It's my dad I'm looking for. If he's out there, I have to do whatever I can to find him."

"I understand that…"

"You, RedBot and Brody travelled all the way to Earth to reunite him with Levi," Sarah pointed out. "You had to think the chances he ever find his brother on Earth were small, but you didn't discourage him."

"I didn't, but…" Mick sighed, took the device from Sarah and then walked back over to the workstation. He sat her down in the chair, "Brody didn't have anyone who would miss him if his mission killed him."

"What do you mean?"

"None of us did," Mick told her. "RedBot, Brody and I were just the three of us. We weren't leaving anyone behind. If anything, not looking for Aiden, Levi, whatever, meant we were losing someone. That isn't your case."

"Mick…"

"You have friends here, Sarah. You have great friends, a lovely girlfriend and a mother and uncle who would all miss you terribly if something happened. Do you see the difference here?"

"So you're telling me to give up on my father?" Sarah asked and glared angrily at her mentor. "Are you serious?"

"There is a reason he didn't come home."

"What if he's hurt?" she shouted. "Or lost, or scared and… you're saying I should just leave him out there?"

"I'm saying the odds of that being the case are so slim, I don't think he would want you risking your life just for that."

"So you are trying to talk me out of this," Sarah growled, then glanced across the room at RedBot, who was working with the Ninja Steel. "Is that what you two were whispering about at lunch?"

"I'm not part of this," RedBot shook his head. Sarah threw her hands up in the air.

"Seriously!"

"Sarah, I want you to understand the risks here. I want you to…"

"I want to find my father," Sarah growled. "I want to be damn sure what happened to him so that when I go home tonight, I don't have to wonder if he's stranded somewhere waiting for help to come. Do you know how that feels, Mick? Because I sure do!"

"Of course I know how that feels, but Sarah…"

"If that were me out there, I'd be counting on you and this whole damn team," she picked up her device and started to storm out. Mick followed her.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming with you."

"Don't just follow me out of pity."

Mick shook his head. He was still positive this wasn't a good idea, but he had tried everything he had to change her mind and she hadn't budged. In fact, the more he tried to talk her out of doing this, the more emotional she got. It was becoming clear this wasn't something she was just doing to answer some lingering questions. This needed to be done.

It was dangerous and stupid, but he could deal with that later. Right now, he needed to do what was best for his pink Ranger.

"I want to come. I want to help," he said. "You're right. If that were you, we'd do anything to help. And I know if it were me stranded, I'd like to know someone was looking for me."

Sarah smiled and wiped her eyes. She held up the device, "There's a plaza not far from where dad worked with some nice restaurants. It was the center of the attack from one of the Galvanaxes so I think that's our best bet. We go there, set the machine for the exact date and time of the attack and hope we see my dad."

"And when we find him?"

"We figure out what happened to him," Sarah said.

"This is going to hurt," he warned her one last time. Sarah nodded.

"It can't hurt anymore than it already does. Are you ready?"


	6. Better Left Behind

Sarah had built herself a time machine. It was a device that could take her backwards in time as far as she wanted. Though there were millions of possibilities for how she could use it, she only wanted it for one.

Unfortunately, it only altered time, not space. If Sarah wanted to be in the heart of the attack all those months ago, she would need to be there when she travelled. If she used her machine in the Ranger Base, she would only transport herself back in time to the Ranger base. From there, she would have to head out and find her father.

Ironically, time was not a luxury she had. If she wanted to keep the present intact, she would need to ensure her presence in the past created no ripples. She couldn't be seen by anyone who would recognize her and she couldn't alter what was meant to happen. She was simply travelling back to watch.

"Are you ready?" she asked Mick as they stood on the construction site. It had been the location of a popular plaza, where those who worked in the nearby office buildings would come for lunch. Since the attack, it had been nothing but rubble, and had only just recently been cleared out so they could rebuild.

"Ready," he nodded. She set the time and date. She knew exactly when to set it because her eyes had been glued to the news during the attacks as she watched the devastation. She received up to the minute news on everything regarding the absolute worst day in her life. "You?"

"Hold onto it," she said and turned the machine on. It took a minute to work, and Sarah worried in that time she had made a miscalculation, but suddenly, she found herself in the center of the attacks, staring up at a giant Galvanax while everything around her was falling apart.

"Run!" Mick shouted and grabbed her as the ceiling right over their heads started to collapse. They dove out of the way, barely escaping. The screams heard behind them indicated not everyone had been so lucky. Sarah glanced back, but Mick grabbed her arm and started to pull her along, "He wasn't in there. I didn't see him."

"Are you sure?"

Galvanax's foot stomped down barely a few feet away from them, shaking the ground and creating fissures that swallowed up cars, buildings and people. Sarah felt the ground starting to slip under her feet and ran with Mick, looking for somewhere safe.

Unfortunately, since it was the center of the attack, there was nowhere safe. Galvanax was right on top of them, which meant every step he took claimed lives by the dozens. Sarah and Mick almost wound up between his toes many times until they managed to get a little further away and weren't directly under him.

"Now what?" Mick asked her, shouting because the screams of others, the emergency sirens, the sound of Galvanax stomping and buildings crashing drowned him out otherwise.

"We have to find my dad," Sarah told him. "Do you remember what he looks like?"

Mick recalled the picture Sarah showed him on her phone and nodded his head. "Any idea where he might be?"

"His friend said a restaurant."

"Which one?"

"I didn't… ask," Sarah said. She looked around, and just in time. Galvanax had taken down another building and the debris was flying everywhere. Thick, heavy pieces of concrete were raining down, and Sarah barely had time to notice they were standing right underneath one. "Shit!" she shouted and pulled Mick with her as it narrowly missed them.

Immediately, she regretted coming back. Everyone she had seen so far was dead, and it looked like no matter where they tried to run, there was danger. Being so close to Galvanax and knowing that there was trouble in seven other nearby locations meant escape was nothing more than a fantasy. This was just a sick and twisted way to prolong the inevitable death.

Just as she was about to tell Mick she wanted to head home, she noticed a man in the corner of her eye and looked over. He was stumbling and barely able to move. He was covered in dust and his clothes were torn, but he was still alive. Upon looking again, Sarah recognized her father.

"Dad!" she shouted and raced over, climbing over the fallen pieces of concrete as she did.

Mick watched her run to the familiar man with a slight grin on his face, "Well, I'll be damned…"

Sarah knew she wasn't supposed to interact with anyone, but the moment she saw her father, she couldn't help it. She needed to see him. She needed to help him. She rushed over, catching him just as he stumbled. "Dad! You're okay!"

"Sarah?" he looked to her, very concerned and very worried. "What are you doing here? Você está bem?"

"Estou bem," Sarah nodded and smiled. "E você está bem?"

"Tudo considerado," he coughed. Mick stood right behind Sarah and noticed blood was splattered on her father's clothes and in his hands. When Bill coughed, he blew out more of it.

"We have to get you out of here," Sarah insisted and let her dad lean on her as she turned around to look at Mick. "Do you have it?"

"Have it?" he asked and pat himself down. Then he looked to her with a frown. "Wait, have what?"

"The time machine, Mick. We can get out of here!"

"Oh that," Mick nodded, then slowly shook his head. "Uh, no. You had it."

"I don't have it!" Sarah shouted and her eyes widened. The moment they had arrived, they had to avoid being crushed. Mick had pulled her and they had jumped to safety. Somewhere between then and now, in their attempt to live, Sarah had accidentally dropped the time machine. "Dammit!"

"We'll retrace our steps," Mick told her calmly. "We'll pray it's not crushed. Mr. Thompson, can you walk?"

It was a moot question. Mick knew just from looking at him that Bill wouldn't survive. He was hurt and they were still in a lot of danger. Help wouldn't come soon enough. He was already coughing up blood, which meant there was internal damage.

He couldn't let Sarah know his thoughts. She wasn't ready to give up. She would never understand or forgive him if he tore her away from her father now.

Unfortunately, Bill sighed, "I-I can't. I can stand but… you have go without me."

"No," Sarah shook her head defiantly. "Dad, we came all this way to help you!"

"Get my daughter to safety," Bill said to Mick, ignoring Sarah. "I'm not going to make it."

"Don't say that!" Sarah yelled at her father, then to Mick, "I've got him, okay! Just lead the way back, Mick!"

"Sarah…"

"Pai, você vai ficar bem," she insisted. "Mick, please."

He nodded and turned around, scanning both the ground and the sky. He needed to find the time machine before he and Sarah were left stranded in the past, and he needed to watch for more falling debris and Galvanax's feet.

By now, fires were blazing. Corpses littered the ground and those that weren't quite dead were screaming out in agony, begging for help. Mick and Sarah both knew there was nothing that could be done for them, especially not without the time machine in their hands. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, bringing back from painful memories for Mick, but he pushed through.

Every time Galvanax took a step, the ground trembled, making it hard to walk. Falling debris would also shake the ground, either by stirring up what was loose under their feet, or by being heavy enough to cause a slight tremor. Mick wasn't sure how many times he stumbled.

When he looked back, Sarah was falling behind. She was strong and very stubborn. She could support her father's weight, but with the added obstacles and death threatening every step, it was starting to be too much. Mick watch her take a fall and rushed back to help both her and her father.

"I've got you," he assured them and smiled at Bill, "Oh, Mick, by the way. I'm Sarah's… uh… friend."

Bill gave a nod, and it looked like he wanted to speak, but he was struggling just to breathe. He convinced Sarah to let him rest for a minute and she and Mick set him down. Almost immediately, he started coughing again, spewing out blood. This time, there was a lot more than just a little splatter in his hand. His face was pale, he was growing weaker and Mick could tell, just by looking in his eyes, he was starting to fade.

"Sarah…"

"Mick stay with him, please," Sarah begged. "We're not far from where we started and I'm faster. I'll find it."

"Sarah…"

"Just, keep an eye on him, okay," Sarah said then looked down at her father with a smile. "I'll get you out of here, okay?"

"Stay safe," he whispered to her, taking her hand. Sarah nodded and smiled.

"I'll be right back," she told him, but her father didn't let go of her hand.

"I love you," he said. "More than anything, you know that, right?"

"Dad, don't do this," Sarah shook her head. "I've got you, okay? Just hang on. I'll get the time machine, we'll get you help and you'll be okay. I promise."

"I love you," he repeated. Sarah kissed his cheek, whispered she loved him back, then bolted off to look for the time machine. Mick glanced around to be sure they would be safe to rest for a minute. When it seemed like they were in no immediate danger, he looked down at Bill.

"You've got a wonderful daughter," he told the dying man. "She's remarkable. I'm sure you know that."

"Are you a friend?" Bill asked. Mick nodded.

"I am. I'm Mick."

"I'm not real," Bill said and Mick frowned. "Please, don't let anything happen to her for me. It's not worth it."

"You're not real?" Mick asked but Bill shook his head.

"You have to take Sarah home. You can't let anything happen to her. Promise me you'll take care of her."

"But…"

"Please," Bill begged. "Let me die. It's what's meant to be."

"I'll keep her safe," Mick promised. Bill smiled faintly and nodded his head.

"Please, take care of my daughter," Bill begged him and took Mick's hand, squeezing it tight. "She's not going to leave me. She's… she's stubborn. You need to… you need to get her out of here."

"I'll do my best…"

"You'll do it!" Bill said and it sounded like he was trying to shout. "She won't want to. She'll fight you, hard, but… you get her out of here, no matter what it takes. All I want right now is my daughter safe."

"I'll do it," Mick promised.

"You'll look after her?"

"I will," Mick nodded and suddenly the ground shook. Mick looked to Galvanax and saw his steps were getting closer. If he didn't move, he would soon find himself under the monster's foot. He reached for Bill, trying to lift him to get him away, but Bill could barely hold himself up anymore. He was nothing but dead weight. Mick knew it, and when Bill tried to push Mick away, he knew Bill knew it too.

"Take care of her," he said. "Let me go, I won't make it anyway. Look after my daughter. You promise me."

"I promise," Mick said, but he found he couldn't move.

"Go!" Bill said to him. "Go find her, please!"

"I…"

"Now!"

Mick nodded and took off running, diving just as Galvanax's foot came down, crushing everything he left behind. As Galvanax kept walking, he lifted his foot and unstable debris fell into the hole he had created, burying Sarah's father.

"Dammit," Mick muttered, but he couldn't waste time. He looked over and saw Sarah had also survived Galvanax barrelling through. She was digging through the spot where they had first arrived, looking frantically for the time machine.

Mick gulped as he removed it from his pocket. He had picked it up when he saw it on the ground as they were getting back to their feet after a dive.

Sarah's father never would have made it. Even if they could get him to the present, they were too far from a hospital and the base wasn't equipped to care for him. He wouldn't have survived the trip to the hospital and couldn't wait for an ambulance.

Mick knew he should have tried. For Sarah, he should have admitted he had the time machine and taken her father to the present. However, he thought it was best to leave him in the past. It was for the best if she knew that he had died in the attack, instead of coming so close to saving him and failing once again.

"Sarah!" he shouted as he made his way over to her, holding the time machine up. "I found it! It's here!"

She heard him and looked over with a smile. She rushed to him, stumbling many times over the debris. As she approached, she looked for her father but saw he wasn't there. "My dad…"

"Sarah, we need to go," he insisted.

"But my dad," Sarah shook her head and tried to run. Mick remembered the promise he made to her dad and so he grabbed her and held her back. He set the time machine for the present and switched it on.

Just as quickly as they had left, they were back. Mick let go of Sarah as she pulled away from him and fell to the ground.

"NO!" she screamed when she realized where they were. Mick barely had time to destroy the device before she shoved him. "What are you doing? We had him!"

"Sarah, he died," Mick explained, but she didn't want to hear it.

"We go back! Farther back! We know he was there. We know he was okay, we…"

"Sarah, we'll change everything," Mick shook his head. "It could be worse."

"NO!" she screamed and shoved him again, this time knocking him to the ground. "We have to save him! If we're there, just a little earlier…"

"We could have been killed," Mick told her. "Sarah, we barely survived once…"

"NO!"

"You went back to see what happened to him and now you know! He's dead," Mick said. "He was crushed by Galvanax and buried. By the time it all settled, he must have been under so much dirt and dust… I'm sorry."

"You did it!" Sarah screamed. "I asked you to keep an eye on him! You… you let him die!"

"I… "Mick started to say something, but he didn't know what he could say. She was exactly right. Her father would be dead regardless of Mick's actions, but the truth was that Mick had left him to die.

Sarah noticed his hesitation and it wasn't lost on her at all, "You… you…"

"Galvanax was close," Mick explained. "I tried to take your father with me but… he insisted I go without him. He insisted we get out of there."

"You let him die!" Sarah screamed. "You… you asshole!"

She hit Mick once in the chest with her fists and tried to swing again once more, but her arms were caught and held back as the other Rangers arrived. Calvin had grabbed her, while Brody, Levi and Preston stood between her and Mick.

"What's going on?" Levi asked as Brody checked to see if Mick was okay. "RedBot said to wait for you guys here, but…"

"He killed my father!" Sarah shouted and tried to pull away from Calvin, but the yellow Ranger had wrapped his arms tight around her. When she continued to pull, he lifted her, taking her feet off the ground. "He killed my dad!" she shouted.

"What?" Preston and Levi turned to look at Mick.

"I'll explain that later," Mick said. "Calvin, Hayley, take her home, please?"

"On it," Calvin nodded.


	7. Deus Ex Machina

Neither Calvin nor Hayley were too sure why RedBot had sent them to find Mick and Sarah. The robot didn't say much, just that all the Rangers needed to be there just in case. However, when they arrived and found Sarah ready to beat Mick to a pulp, Calvin was glad RedBot had made the call. He could pull Sarah away from Mick before she did much damage, and especially before she did anything she couldn't take back.

Now, they had been tasked with getting her home. It sounded much easier than it was. Sarah wasn't ready to walk away from Mick without a fight. Calvin barely got her down the street before he was too tired and had to set her down. Almost as soon as her feet touched the ground, she tried running.

Fortunately, Hayley stepped up, standing in the way of the pink Ranger while Calvin continued to hold on. He tightened his hold around Sarah, both for Mick's protection and Sarah's comfort.

"You have to stop," Hayley stated to Sarah firmly and Calvin recognized her tone immediately. Hayley was practicing tough love. He couldn't argue against Sarah needing it. She was small but mighty, and Calvin wasn't sure he would be able to hold her for much longer. Right now, it was a battle of wills. He was glad he had Hayley by his side.

"He killed my father," Sarah seethed, but Hayley remained calm and shook her head.

"We can talk about that…"

"I don't want to talk," Sarah growled. "I want to pound his smug little face into the ground! Let me go, Calvin!"

"That's not an option right now," Hayley said. "And you need to calm down."

"He killed my dad!" Sarah shouted and Calvin felt his grip slip for just a moment. He looked to his girlfriend.

"Work a little faster, alright," he suggested. "This isn't exactly the most pleasurable hug, you know."

Hayley nodded slightly and looked to Sarah, "Calvin and I will hear you out. We're not taking sides here, but we aren't going to let you beat into Mick without knowing why. You calm down, talk to us rationally, and we'll see where we need to take it from there."

"He killed my father!" Sarah shouted. "He let him die! Let me go! Don't fucking touch me!"

"Sarah, Mick was nowhere near your dad when he died," Calvin tried to remind her, but Sarah shook her head. She grabbed Calvin's arms and tried to rip them away, but he refused to let go, even when her nails dug into his skin.

"He was!"

"He was in the base with you!"

"And he was there!" Sarah screamed.

"You had clones of Mick?"

"We went back in time! We could have saved him but Mick let him die! That greasy haired bastard killed my father!"

"You went back in time?" Hayley looked to Calvin curiously. He barely managed a shrug.

"Not the time, Hayls. Let's ask those kinds of questions later, alright?"

Hayley nodded, "Alright so… did you see Mick… kill your dad?"

"I was looking for the fucking time machine!" Sarah shouted. "He was supposed to watch him!"

"Time machine?" Hayley looked to Calvin again and he shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. You know, hoverboards, clones, times machines; let's keep this moving before I lose an arm or worse."

"Sorry," Hayley whispered to him and focused on Sarah again, "So, you didn't see what happened?"

"He killed my father!" Sarah screamed and this time, instead of trying to pull free, she jabbed her elbow into Calvin's rib. He let out a painful cry, but he didn't let go. Hayley made a note to thank him profusely afterwards for his efforts and did realise that he was taking the beating intended for Mick. Part of her wanted to give Calvin permission to let Sarah go, both to spare him the extra bruises and because this was doing nothing to help calm the pink Ranger. However, she was still very worried that the moment Sarah was free, she would go after Mick and hurt him, or one of the other teammates.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," Calvin told her, with more confidence in his voice than on his face, but he had to appear stronger than Sarah. He had to make her think that he could easily outlast her. If she thought she would wear him out, she wouldn't stop fighting until she did.

"You're sure about this?" Hayley asked. "You're absolutely sure it was Mick, not Galvanax, who killed your father."

"He let him die."

"Mick did?"

"I'm going to kill him," Sarah growled as she continued to fight against Calvin's hold. As she did, the top of her head smashed into the bottom of his jaw. That, as well as the scratches on his arm, was enough to finally cause his hold to break and as Calvin nursed the pain in his face and arms, Sarah bolted.

"Go! Go!" Calvin shouted to Hayley, who he knew would be torn between checking up on him and going after Sarah. He would be fine, nothing a little ice and time wouldn't fix, so he had to tell her to choose Sarah.

"I'm sorry," Hayley said before she ran after the pink Ranger. She hoped this would be the one time she could find it in herself to outrun Sarah.

She didn't need to. Just as she turned the street, she heard tires screeching. She came around the corner, finding a car had stopped in the crosswalk and Sarah on the ground. The driver hurried out, looking to Sarah with worry.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, I… I didn't see you there! I'm so sorry!"

Hayley rushed over, coming to Sarah's side. She looked to the driver, "911 please."

"I didn't see her. I'm so sorry!"

"Trust me, you did her a huge favour," Hayley said. "Just call 911, please."

The driver nodded and frantically stepped away to make the call while Hayley looked to Sarah, "Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"I want to go home," Sarah muttered. Hayley nodded.

"I know. We'll get you checked out first, just in case, and then we'll take you home."

"What happened?" Calvin cried out as he arrived and knelt with Sarah and Hayley.

"Deus ex machina."

"I don't speak Spanish, Hayls," Calvin groaned. "Is she okay?"

"Latin, and I think so," Hayley looked to Sarah once more. She was slightly worried that Sarah wasn't trying to get up and run off, when just moments before she had to be physically restrained to keep from doing so, but her teammate was conscious and alert. It had to be a good sign. So Hayley's attention shifted to Calvin as she noticed all the scratches that tore up his arm and the redness along the side of his jaw, "You?"

"Kinda wishing the car hit her a little earlier," Calvin chuckled, "but I'll be fine."

"Maybe you should get an X-Ray too while we're at the hospital?"

"I'm fine," Calvin insisted. "A bruise, nothing more. She's got a hard head, but it's not bone breaking tough."

"Humour me?"

"Fine," Calvin nodded. "I'll let a doctor look at it."


	8. Always Two Sides

Jenny rushed into the hospital and refused to waste any time finding her daughter. She rushed to the counter, asking where she could find Sarah. As a nurse went off to look for a doctor, Jenny felt her heart jump into her throat.

"You're Sarah's mom?" she heard a woman call out and turned to see a couple approaching her. Calvin was right behind with Hayley, looking more than a little concerned and apologetic. Jenny also noticed the scratches on Calvin's arm as well as the ice-pack he was holding to his face.

"I… I am," Jenny answered.

"Your daughter's a psychopath!" the woman yelled. "Look what she did to our son!"

"Mom, I'm fine," Calvin insisted. "You heard the doctor, it's going to heal on its own."

"Sarah did that?" Jenny asked. "For real?"

"She's having a bad day," Calvin said and gave Jenny a little wink to let her know he couldn't give more details in front of his parents.

"I don't care if she's having a bad day," his mother screeched. "Your daughter has absolutely no right to lay a finger on my son! We're pressing charges!"

"Mom, please don't," Calvin begged. "Please, I'm fine. I restrained her!" he said and looked to Jenny, "I was restraining her. I knew I risked getting hurt."

"Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell, I understand you're very upset but we don't need to get the police involved. I will speak with my daughter and…"

"Oh, you'll _speak_ with her?" Mr. Maxwell scoffed. "Oh, that's just perfect? You'll give your barbarian daughter a lecture _after_ she's torn my son's arms to shreds and put him at risk for brain damage!"

"Dad, it's not that bad!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell, Sarah really didn't mean to hurt Calvin," Hayley insisted. "She didn't want to hurt him. She was upset and…"

"Civil people don't violently attack their so-called friends when they're _upset_ ," Mrs. Maxwell growled. "Do you really think this type of behaviour is okay?"

"No, but…"

"This really isn't like Sarah at all," Jenny insisted. "I can assure you, it's just a one-time thing…"

"One is all it takes! She could have really hurt my son! If she's going to act like an animal, you need to lock her up like one!"

"Mom, dad, stop it!" Calvin shouted and stood between them and Jenny so he could look directly at his parents. "I don't want to press charges! Sarah's my friend. She's having a bad day and I had to keep her from doing something she would regret! I knew I might get hurt when I restrained her, but I did it anyways. I could have let her go if I wanted, but I didn't. And if I had to, I'd do it all over again. You can't press charges."

"Cal…"

"Hayley was there," Calvin said. "Sarah never came after me. I grabbed her. I held her back. I carried her off. I got involved and I restrained her against her wishes. What she did, that's self-defence, right? Technically, aren't I the attacker?"

"He did restrain her," Hayley nodded her head. "And I remember Sarah asking him to let go. She didn't want him to touch her."

Jenny looked to the two teens gratefully, then up to Calvin's parents with a smirk. She really didn't want to fight them over this. Right now, she only wanted to concern herself with her daughter's well-being, but she also really didn't want to deal with lawyers and a trial.

"I don't press charges if you don't?" she offered the Maxwells, who grumbled as they looked to her.

"We'll think about it," they said. "Come on, Calvin, Hayley…"

"I want to stay," Calvin said and Hayley took his hand. "Make sure Sarah is okay."

"I can drive them home," Jenny offered.

"Calvin…"

"Dad, she's my friend," Calvin said.

"Don't stay out too late," his parents told him. "And take Hayley home tonight."

"Fine," he agreed and waved to his parents as they left. When he turned to Jenny, he saw she had stepped away to speak with the doctor who arrived. He and Hayley sat down to wait for the news.

"So, a time machine," Hayley said, glancing to her boyfriend. "Do you think she was serious?"

"She did create clones," Calvin shrugged. "And she said it _before_ she was smacked with a car."

"I wonder what the story is there."

"Do you think Mick really killed her dad? Or let him die or whatever?"

"It doesn't seem like Mick at all," Hayley shook her head, then sighed, "But, I mean, Sarah was right about Aiden."

"So you think she's right?"

"I… I don't know," Hayley said. "I know she thinks she's right. I'm pretty sure there's another side to this story, though."

"We can talk to Mick about it in the morning," Calvin told her. "But I'm really hoping she's wrong."

"Me too."

-Ninja-Steel-

Preston, Brody and Levi took Mick back to the Ranger base after separating him from Sarah, and the Ranger mentor had been quiet the whole way home, speaking only to insist that Sarah hadn't hurt him, despite how hard she had punched.

"So, you gonna tell us what Sarah meant when she said you killed her father?" Preston asked and earned a couple harsh glares from the Romero brothers. He shrugged, "Hey, I'm only curious."

"It's fine," Mick assured the boys. "She's not… wrong."

"Mick, you need to explain what happened," Brody said. "It can't be just that. You wouldn't…"

"I didn't kill him, but I did let him die," Mick answered. "In Sarah's mind, that's the same thing."

"But you were here, in the base," Brody said. "You were with Sarah while Galvanax was attacking."

"I was, and I was there."

"I thought Sarah only cloned herself," Levi frowned. "How could you be in two places at once."

"Time travel."

"Of course," Levi said sarcastically and glanced questioningly at the other two Rangers. Mick caught the look and sighed loudly.

"Sarah got it in her head that she needed to get answers about her father's disappearance. And she decided time travel was the way to do it. So, she created, well, this."

He held up the broken device. Levi, Preston and Brody all looked to it carefully before glancing to each other again.

"A time travel machine?" Brody frowned.

"What is she still doing in high school?" Levi muttered.

"I helped," Mick said. "When it was obvious she was going to do this with or without help, I thought it'd be better to keep an eye on her. Maybe talk her out of it. But she insisted it was the best way to figure out what happened and so I agreed to go along with her. I hoped she would see he was dead and let it go but… it didn't work out that way."

"Was he still alive?" Preston asked.

"Barely," Mick answered. "He was the walking dead. Sarah saw what she wanted to see, but I saw… he was hurt, he could barely stand, his clothes were torn and bloodied and he was coughing up blood. And Sarah and I had barely survived long enough to find him and it had barely been ten minutes. He was on his way out. He wouldn't make it to a hospital. He didn't make it longer than five more minutes. At least, I didn't try to help him make it longer."

"What does that mean?" Brody asked.

"I knew he wasn't going to live. Sarah was in denial but… I've seen people in his condition before. It was a miracle he was still alive. I couldn't let Sarah bring him home, just to watch him die here. I couldn't let her lose him again so… I pretended we lost the time machine."

"Mick…"

"He was dying," Mick reminded the Rangers. "He wouldn't have survived. Even if he made it to a hospital, he would have been far too weak for anyone to save him."

"So, you ended his life for him?" Levi asked. Mick shook his head.

"No. No, of course not. Sarah went to look for the time machine, insisting she would be faster. She left me to look after her father and since we were safe in the moment, we stayed where we were. Her father knew exactly what was going on so when Galvanax came closer and we had to run to avoid being stepped on, I tried to… you know, humour Sarah's wishes but… her dad asked me to let him go. So… I did."

Mick breathed in deeply and let it out slowly, "He was a dead man walking anyways but… he was alive when Galvanax's foot came down. When it lifted, he wasn't."

"So, you let him die?"

"I didn't stop it happening," Mick said. "And he was already dying. He knew it, I knew it. All he wanted was for Sarah to be safe. So that's what I did. I took her home, and I broke the machine. We can't risk going back there again and if we save her father, who knows what effects it might have on the present. It's a risk we can't afford."

"But you didn't even try," Preston frowned. "You lied about the time machine. Maybe if you brought him back…"

"We weren't close to a hospital," Mick said. "If we used the time machine with her father, we would have come to the present, but we would be in the exact same spot we left. I'm not equipped to resurrect the dead and he never would have survived a trip to the hospital. He was breathing his last breathes when he asked me to leave him."

"But Sarah…"

"Sarah only needed answers," Mick said. "She only needs confirmation that her father is dead. It doesn't matter if it happened here or in the past. He's gone. What she needs is to move on. I promised her father I'd take care of her and that's what I'm going to do."

Mick smashed the time machine on the table and stormed off to his room, leaving behind the three boys. Brody sighed heavily as he looked to his brother and Preston.

"He did the right thing," Brody said.

"But he could have tried harder," Preston argued. "He lied about losing the time machine and… how could he know her father was just seconds away from death if he let him be crushed by Galvanax?"

"Preston, you remember how bad those attacks were," Brody reminded him. "Hundreds of people died, some of them didn't even have a fighting chance."

"Her father did! Mick shouldn't have made that call!"

"Mick wasn't trying to kill him, but... he's seen fatal injuries before. He knows what he's talking about."

"But…"

"Preston, I don't like it either," Brody shook his head. "But you have to trust Mick. You have to believe that he was only doing what he thought was right. You don't have to agree with him, you just need to trust him."

"I trust him," Preston insisted. "I just think he was wrong. He should have tried harder."

"Harder?" RedBot asked, piping in, reminding the boys he was there. "No offense, Preston, but it sounds to me like Mick tried as hard as he could."

"RedBot…"

"Sarah said it herself, her father was in the heart of the attacks, and from what I recall, no one survived if they were in the heart of it," RedBot stated. "If Mick and Sarah found her father where Sarah thought he was, that means they were in the most dangerous position. They're lucky this didn't kill them."

"But…"

"If Mick and Sarah both came back, not only alive, but unharmed, that's way more than Mick or I expected. As far as I'm concerned, Mick didn't let anyone die today. He saved Sarah. From herself, from Galvanax, doesn't matter. His actions kept her alive. I know it."

"Mick is a good person," Brody insisted as he looked to Preston. "You have to trust him."


	9. Not Your Average Parenting Problem

Jenny returned home from the hospital the following morning looking ragged. Her hair had been pulled up into a sloppy ponytail and her clothes were looking very worn. She had spent the night in the hospital speaking with doctors as well as contacting her insurance companies and lawyers, and speaking with the police with Sarah regarding the accident and how they wanted to proceed with the driver.

To say it had been a long night was understating the way Jenny felt. She dragged herself through the door. Her spirits weren't lifted at all by the bacon and eggs waiting for her in the kitchen, or by her brother's hopeful smile.

"Is she okay?" Shane asked and offered Jenny a plate.

"Did you know the leading cause of heart attacks wasn't obesity?" Jenny muttered. "It's kids!"

"Is it bad?" a look of sheer panic crossed Shane's face. Jenny shook her head.

"No. No, she'll be fine. Some bad bruising, but it looks like she bounced. She's lucky."

"Good," Shane said and offered Jenny the plate again. His sister still didn't take it. She sat down at the table and sighed loudly. Shane looked to her. "But…?"

"I don't know if I can go back to work."

"The interview went well, right?"

"It did," Jenny answered, recalling her interview the day before. "But just when I think life is going to go back to normal, BAM! something happens."

"Literally bam," Shane chuckled. He sat across from his sister and set the plate down in front of her. "But you need the money, right?"

"It would help," Jenny nodded. "Bills don't pay themselves and kids don't feed themselves. It's just… I really think Sarah needs someone around the clock. It's only been a few months since Bill died and it's a new city and this freaking Power Ranger thing and… everything else! Something's always coming up and I'm worried I'm either going to let her down because of work, or I'm going to get my ass fired from every job because I'm always taking off for some emergency."

"So I'll go back to work," Shane suggested.

"How will that help?"

"Get some money coming in again," Shane told her. "Help you pay some of the bills so you can stay home for Sarah."

"No. No, absolutely not."

"Jenny…"

"You teach in Blue Bay Harbour! You'd be commuting an hour back and forth every day and…"

"I can live at home," Shane said. "You know, my real house."

"What?"

"I'm not saying I want to move out," Shane told her. "But I came here when Bill died to help get you back on your feet and, well, you and Sarah are doing well now, the accident aside. The Rangers are well established and I'm sure they can keep figuring this out on their own. I don't think I'm needed anymore."

"You're not moving out and paying my bills."

"I want to," Shane said.

"I can figure this out."

"I already have. Jen, I really don't mind. In fact, I want to do this. I miss teaching anyways and it's not like we're far enough away that I can't still come back when you do need me. Or just when you want to see me."

"But…"

"You have a job already. You're raising a teenage superhero. That's more than enough. Let me help."

"What about Sarah?"

"She'll be fine," Shane said. "She's got my number, she knows where to find me."

"I don't want you to feel like there is any pressure," Jenny insisted. "You've already been such a big help. You really don't have to…"

"I want to help," Shane smiled. "Let me do this."

"Thank you," Jenny whispered gratefully. Shane took her hand, gave it a little squeeze and then stood up.

"I'm going to give Cam a call. I'll bet this is going to make his day. I'll be upstairs."

Jenny let him go and finally considered taking a bit of her breakfast. She hadn't eaten since before hearing of Sarah's accident and was starving. Just as she picked up her fork, the doorbell rang.

"Don't they know I'm hungry," she sighed and left her plate to see who it was. She was surprised when Mick was on the other side.

"Is Sarah home?" he asked and he seemed a little nervous. He was normally a bit twitchy, but this seemed extreme even for him. Jenny shook her head.

"They're running a couple more tests before they release her, just to be safe."

"Did she speak to you?"

"No," Jenny answered. "She's on some pretty potent pain killers right now."

"Good, because I wanted to be the first to talk to you," Mick said. "May I?"

Jenny opened the door, letting him in. She walked him over to the kitchen so she could eat while he spoke.

"Talk to me about what?"

"About… about what happened," Mick said. "With Bill."

"My husband?"

"Sarah's been thinking about him a lot lately. I… I'm sure you've noticed, right?"

"She was upset the other day," Jenny nodded. "She went by his office. It made her pretty upset."

"Well, yesterday morning she was at the base," Mick explained, "Working on a time machine."

"A time machine?" Jenny frowned, then shook her head and scoffed. "Okay, clones I could believe. But a time machine…"

"She's brilliant," Mick said. "And with some help from me, we got it up and running and…"

"You're serious?" Jenny asked. "You built a time machine? Why?"

"She wanted answers," Mick answered. He looked directly at Jenny, "Look, I tried to talk her out of it. I tried to tell her it was a bad idea and she would only get hurt but… Sarah either didn't believe me or didn't want to believe me. She was going to do this with or without my help. That's why I helped, by the way. So I could keep an eye on her."

"What are you talking about, Mick?"

After Brody and Levi were reunited… wait, you know they're brothers, right?"

"I've heard the story."

"Sarah got it in her head that if they could be reunited, she could figure out what happened to her father. So she built the time machine to go back in time to see what happened to him so that if he had survived, she would know where he is."

"But… he couldn't have survived. He would be home. We would have been contacted or… he didn't survive."

"He didn't," Mick assured her, though it seemed like he was breaking the news to her all over again. Still, he had to push past it. This wasn't the bad news. "Anyway, we went back, I went with Sarah, you know, to keep an eye on her."

"You took my daughter back in time?"

"Technically, she took me," Mick said. "She was going regardless, I tried to keep some control over the situation."

Jenny put her head in her hands and sighed loudly, "Oh my god, why can't I have normal parenting problems like teenage pregnancy? Where the hell is the parenting book about teenage time travel?"

"The bookstore?" Mick offered, but when Jenny glared at him, he realized she was speaking sarcastically, "Oh… sorry."

"Just continue," Jenny said. "If you wait for me to catch up, you'll be here all day."

"Okay well, we found Bill, but before you get too excited, remember, he's dead."

"So you found his body?"

"He was alive when we found him," Mick said cautiously, but that didn't stop Jenny's excitement from growing. He hated what he would have to say next. "He wasn't well, Mrs. Thompson. He was a dead man walking, I guarantee it. I've seen people much better off than him not make it. He needed a hospital and even with a time machine, there wasn't enough time to get him there, and since we were in the heart of the attack…"

"You took my daughter in the past to see her dying father in the heart of this city's _worst_ attack?"

"Remember, she took me," Mick said, but that did nothing to erase the scowl on Jenny's face. "That's not important though. You don't need to know the details…"

"I do," Jenny growled.

"Trust me, you don't," Mick shook his head. "We thought we lost the time machine so Sarah went to look for it while I stayed with your husband. Galvanax was inching closer and… I couldn't get out of his way and carry Bill with me at the same time. He begged me to leave him behind. He knew he wouldn't make it anyway."

"You left him?" Jenny roared and rose to her feet. Mick jumped up at well and put up his hands.

"Mrs. Thompson, I assure you, I did try to help, but your husband was insistent I get myself to safety. He wanted me to look after Sarah – to keep her safe."

"After you brought her into trouble in the first place!"

"Mrs. Thompson, I know this is a lot to handle right now, and I do really understand your anger. You can be mad at me, but please, hear me out."

"You have thirty seconds."

"I had to leave Bill if I was going to make it home with Sarah. She wouldn't leave on her own, especially not without her father. Yes, I let Bill die and you can hate me all you want for that…"

"Don't worry, I do."

"And so does Sarah," Mick said. "Mrs. Thompson, I'm not here for your forgiveness. I'm not here to tell my story in the hopes you'll ever understand why I did what I did. I don't need anything from you. I'm here to tell you the story. I'm here so that when you do see Sarah, you'll understand what she's going through. When she says she hates me, when she says I let her father die, you'll know what she's talking about and you'll be better able to help her."

"Get out."

"Mrs. Thompson, I care deeply for all my Rangers. I'd do anything for them and I can assure you, their well-being always has been, still is, and always will be my top priority. Your daughter will continue to be safe in my hands and I only act in her best interest."

"Leave now, Mick, before I run you over with my car."

"I really hope what I said can help you do what's best for Sarah," Mick said and when Jenny stepped towards him, he ran off. She slammed the door behind him and let out a scream.

"Wow," Shane said from the top of the stairs. Jenny looked up to see him, with the phone pressed to his ear, eyes wide.

"You heard that?"

"Cam heard that," Shane nodded and held out the phone. "Say hi."

"Shane, I don't have time."

"Jenny…"

"My fucking time travelling daughter went back to the most dangerous place and time this city has ever seen with her incompetent alien friend just so she could watch her father be killed all over again!"

Shane was silent for a moment, unsure of what to do until he glanced to his phone, "Uh… Cam wants to know if you would rather I stick around? Or…"

"No," Jenny grumbled as she shook her head. "You know what, having one Power Ranger is already turning out to be more than enough."


	10. Be Here

Sarah sat on her bed in her room. It was about the only place she could be where her mother didn't worry after her. After the accident, she had only been left with a heavy bruise along her side, a concussion and some tenderness throughout her body. It wasn't enough to warrant over the top worrying, at least, Sarah believed that. Her mother had different ideas.

Recovery felt a lot like being punished. She couldn't leave the house for long, her mother was always checking up on her, and Sarah was always forced to announce when she was using the washroom, because her mother would hear her walking around and call up, _"What do you need?"_

Fortunately, just like prison, Sarah was allowed visitors. She wasn't really in the mood to see anyone, but couldn't refuse when Kelly popped by. At the very least, it would be someone new worrying about her. A fresh voice behind the incessant _"Are you okay?"_

She knew they all meant well. Maybe it was because she wasn't okay that the question bothered her so much.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kelly asked and Sarah clenched her jaw to keep from lashing out.

"Fine."

"Okay, sorry," Kelly muttered. "It's just… you really don't look it."

"It's worse than it looks," Sarah answered about the bruise on her side, which was currently surrounded by a pile of ice-packs, which though it felt good, was also causing Sarah to tremble from the cold, making her more than a little uncomfortable and extra irritable.

"If you say so," Kelly said and sat awkwardly in silence again. She knew Sarah wasn't being intentionally hostile, though it was still a tough pill to swallow. Her girlfriend had been through so much, Kelly couldn't blame her short fuse or bitter answers. What really irked her was that, once more, she had no idea how to help, despite wanting to desperately. "Uh… do you want me to put on some music?"

"No."

"TV?"

"No."

"Do you want a book?"

"No."

"Is there anything you want?" Kelly asked. Sarah shot her a glare, then turned away. Kelly sighed, "Right, sorry."

"It's just…" Sarah said and Kelly sat up a little. "He let him die."

"Mick? Sarah, it really sounds like... I mean, even the way you tell it…"

"He was hurt," Sarah said. "Of course he was fucking hurt! A building collapsed on him. You survived a building collapse."

"Barely," Kelly muttered, shrinking in her chair again as she reminded herself repeatedly that Sarah wasn't herself. Kelly remembered losing her own father, not too long ago, and all the pain that had caused her. They hadn't even been on good terms at the time, and she already never wanted to see him again. She couldn't imagine losing a parent she still adored deeply.

"And Mick… he just… I mean, who the hell gave him permission to just… dump my dad like that. Like he meant nothing."

"You were in a warzone."

"I was looking for that damned time machine!" Sarah shouted, her face quickly turning red while Kelly's eyes filled with tears. She hated how useless she felt, and she hated how Sarah was making her feel worse about it by yelling and cursing. She looked to the bruise along Sarah's hairline, reminding herself that this wasn't the real Sarah. She would have to deal with it all for now and hope something could help her eventually.

Or soon. Preferably soon.

Sarah felt her temper boiling over. She felt the redness in her faith and the bitterness of her actions. When she saw Kelly wiping away the tears in her eyes, though, it all flushed away. She had to remind herself who she was angry with. Kelly had done nothing wrong. She was only here to help.

"I'm sorry," Kelly whispered and now Sarah felt like a complete ass. She never intended on making her girlfriend cry. She hated knowing she was the reason her girlfriend was so upset. Tears welled up in her own eyes as her anger quickly dissolved into pain.

More pain. Too much pain.

She uncrossed her arms, inviting Kelly to the bed, but her girlfriend hesitated. Sarah hated seeing that. She hated that she had hurt her girlfriend. Still, Kelly did come over, sitting on the end of the bed. Sarah pushed off the blankets and crawled over to her.

"I'm sorry," she said and wrapped her arms around Kelly. She rested her head on her shoulder.

Kelly still wasn't sure what to do, but Sarah had nestled into her, seeking comfort. She didn't want to deny the pink Ranger anything right now and wrapped her arms around her and held her close.

"It's okay."

"It's not okay," Sarah whispered as a heavy lump built up in her throat. "I'm sorry I yelled. It's not okay."

"Sarah…"

"I had him," Sarah whispered and pulled in closer to Kelly. Kelly squeezed her just a little tighter.

"I know you did."

"Mick let him go."

"I know."

"He's gone. He's… he's actually gone."

"He is," Kelly nodded and for a second, she regretted having said it. Almost as soon as those words left her lips, Sarah started to sob loudly and her body trembled so much, Kelly worried she was having a seizure. But she didn't let go of her girlfriend. She had no idea what to do or what Sarah needed, but Sarah had come to her for comfort and she wouldn't turn her away.

So Sarah cried, loudly, and for a long time, and Kelly sat there, holding her, not saying a word except the occasional, "It's okay," until, eventually, Sarah stopped. There were a few hiccups, and a few times Kelly though Sarah might start crying again, but finally, it was all over. Sarah pulled away, out of her arms, and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered and though Kelly couldn't believe it, she was sure she saw a ghost of a smile. "I… I think I needed that."

"Y-Yeah," Kelly nodded her head. "Uh, anytime."

Her conversation with Hayley suddenly came to mind, " _At the end of the day, you tried your best, you did what you needed to help her, and as you said, she was feeling a little better by the time Jenny showed up. That means you did something right. Maybe, just sitting with her was enough."_

 _Maybe just sitting with her was enough,_ Kelly thought, and that made her smile too. She still didn't know how she could help Sarah. She still wasn't sure if there was anything she could do, but she knew she had done something already.

She wasn't useless; not completely, anyways. And she was only going to get better.

Hopefully, though, the problems weren't going to be so dramatic. Kelly could do with some regular, high school drama for the next little while. Or at least something that didn't involve alien monsters, time travel, teenage superheroes and the end of the world.


	11. Forgive

It turned out, a calm Sarah was a somewhat reasonable Sarah. Once Kelly could get Sarah over the hump of her emotions, she noticed Sarah was a little more receptive to different interpretations of the time travel story. Kelly had started with just saying that she was sure Mick felt poorly for how it all ended, and when Sarah didn't proceed to chew her head off, Kelly also suggested that Mick had probably only done what he thought was best.

Eventually, Sarah agreed to speak with him so Kelly took her down to the Ranger base. Mick was there, working by himself while RedBot was reading a book in the corner of the room. Both looked up as the girls walked in and both seemed somewhat fearful.

Kelly gravitated towards RedBot, allowing Mick and Sarah to have their painfully awkward, but desperately needed talk. Mick seemed to take one look at Sarah, noticed her limp was far worse than Kelly's, and his eyes welled up with tears.

"Sarah…"

"I'm okay," Sarah insisted. "I… I guess it could have been worse."

"Yeah… yeah, good thing it wasn't," Mick nodded his head. There was a brief silence between the two of them before Sarah remembered she was holding a coffee in her hand. She offered it to Mick. Despite never needing it, Mick had found he loved coffee, claiming he liked the way it made him twitch. Sarah had decided it would have to do as a peace offering. While she still wasn't happy with him, her talk with Kelly had convinced her that maybe she had been just a bit too tough on the shapeshifter.

"I, um… I'm sorry for… for the things I said the other day," Sarah whispered as she lowered her head. "For what it's worth, I don't think you wanted to let my dad die."

"Of course not," Mick said. He set the coffee down and approached Sarah. "All I wanted was, well, what you wanted. I just… I know that sometimes what we want and what we get don't line up and… I guess all I wanted was for you not to be disappointed."

"I still think I could have helped him," Sarah said. "I really believe you made the wrong call, letting him go, Mick."

"Sarah, he wasn't going to make it," Mick promised her. "Oh, Sarah, I knew the moment I saw him, he was on borrowed time already."

"We had a time machine."

"It wasn't going to change what happened," Mick shook his head. He brought Sarah over to a chair and set her down. "Sarah, your father asked me to leave him."

Sarah furrowed her brow deeply as she finally looked to Mick, "What?"

"He knew he wasn't going to make it."

"I could have tried."

"Sarah, he was a dead man walking," Mick hated being so blunt with Sarah, just like he hated doing so with her step-mother, but it needed to be done. If he beat around the bush, or if he used euphemisms, he risked giving Sarah false hope. That was the last thing she needed right now. Telling the truth was like getting a painful shot. It would hurt like a bitch for a while, but it needed to be done. "When Galvanax approached, I tried to take him with me. I didn't want to just abandon him, even if I knew he wouldn't make it much longer but… Your father just wanted _you_ to be safe. He asked that I take you home."

"But.. but…"

"Sarah, we spoke about a time machine in front of him and he didn't question it once," Mick reminded her.

"That wasn't a priority," Sarah shook her head. "He… he wasn't thinking clearly, he…"

"Sarah, your father was not going to live long enough for any medical intervention."

"You don't know that."

"I do. Trust me, I do," Mick grabbed her arms gently and looked her in the eyes, trying to be as honest, but as gentle as possible. It was a difficult balance, but he really didn't want to hurt her anymore than he needed. "I did not want to let him die, but I did."

"You were wrong."

"I let him die, Sarah," Mick admitted, knowing there was no point in arguing the truth. Sarah would see right through him. "I didn't want to do it, but I did. I did it because if I tried to save him, I couldn't save you."

"Mick…"

"I found the time machine," he told her. "If I didn't let your father go, he and I would have both been crushed by Galvanax, and the time machine with us. You'd be stuck in the past, alone, maybe dead. I'm so sorry I let your father die, but I couldn't let you die too."

Mick let go of Sarah's arms as he waited for her reaction. She was still for a while, which terrified him almost as much as when she jumped up suddenly and kicked over her stool.

"Dammit!" she shouted.

"Sarah, he loved you so much," Mick told her. "All he wanted was for you to be safe. He would be so proud of you."

"Proud?" Sarah asked and whipped around to face Mick. "Proud? You think he'd be proud if he knew he died because of me?"

"Sarah…"

"Those were my holo-clones!"

"You had nothing to do with that," Mick assured her. "Galvanax took your invention. He's the one who caused all of this."

"I did!" Sarah shouted. "You let him die but I killed him!"

"Sarah…"

"Dammit!" Sarah shouted and kicked over the other stool. Kelly raced across the room. She didn't know what to do, but she knew what worked last time. She took Sarah in her arms and held her tight.

"You did everything you could to fix this," she told her. "It's not your fault."

"But Kelly…"

"You made a mistake. Galvanax took advantage. That's not your fault."

"But…"

"You're not going to let this mistake break you down," Kelly insisted and looked directly at Sarah. "You're not going to let this consume you. You're better than that."

"It's my fault."

"Show Galvanax that he made the biggest mistake by misusing your technology," Kelly told her. "Teach Galvanax that the worst thing he can do is take advantage of you. Come back stronger, okay? Don't let your father die in vain."

"But…"

"You're not going to make this mistake again," Kelly assured her. "You're better now; stronger. You put everything you're feeling into beating Galvanax for good, and I know you're going to make your father proud."

"How? After what I did…"

"I'd be proud," Kelly smiled. "I am proud already. You're Sarah freaking Thompson. You're not perfect but… you are Superman."

Sarah chuckled. It wasn't the first time Kelly had compared her to superman, mostly because she had a secret identity, fought evil, and as Kelly put, had a hot body. It did always make Sarah smile, though.

"Galvanax is going to really regret coming to Earth in the first place," Kelly said, then shook her head. "Actually, he won't have to regret it for too long. You're going to beat him, and he'll never hurt anyone again. I know it."

Sarah nodded her head and wiped her eyes. Then she turned to Mick.

"I still think you were wrong," she told him. Mick nodded his head.

"I understand."

"Thank you, Mick," Sarah said, and moved away from Kelly to give the mechanic a hug. "Just, thank you."

Mick smiled, hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. He'd do anything for the Rangers. They were his family, and since they were so young, especially compared to him, they felt like his own children. He could live with Sarah being angry with him, because he knew he had done right by her in the end, but it still felt so good to know that she had forgiven him.

As they hugged, Kelly walked back over to RedBot with a confident smirk, "I helped her," she said excitedly. "I did that."

"Uh… good job?" he responded with confusion and gave a weak thumbs up. Kelly smiled.

"I'm getting better at this girlfriend thing."


End file.
